Sophie Simpson, Violin

Violinist Sophie Simpson performs regularly in a variety of musical styles, including contemporary as well as Early Music in a historically informed style and everything in-between. She attended Wells Cathedral School on a music scholarship (2009-11), before studying Music at the University of York (2011-14), followed by a Masters in Violin Performance the Royal Northern College of Music (2014-16), where she studied with Julia Hanson and Dr Pauline Nobes. Since graduating she has been busy pursuing a portfolio career in teaching and as a freelance performer on both modern and baroque violin. 

Ensembles she has played with include The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), Instruments of Time and Truth, Fiori Musicali, Manchester Camerata, Northern Ballet Sinfonia, Orpheus Sinfonia, Skipton Camerata, London Handel Orchestra, London Choral Sinfonia and Southern Sinfonia among others. Sophie was a member of the OAE Experience Scheme in 2018 and since January 2018 she has been a member of Theresia Youth Orchestra, a group based in Italy, who perform Classical works on period instruments across Europe. In 2019 she performed in a community opera project called ‘Agreed’ at Glyndebourne with the OAE. 

Sophie is a violinist with Southbank Sinfonia 2019, with whom she has performed in projects with members of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Royal Opera House, as well as playing solos alongside Adrian Butterfield in works by Vivaldi and Geminiani. 

Sophie recently performed a Handel Violin Sonata and Laudamus Tefrom Bach’s B Minor Mass, as well as the violin solos from several Handel arias, in St George’s Hanover Square as part of the London Handel Festival. At Dartington Summer School in 2018 Sophie led the 2ndorchestra in performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, playing the Gebt Mirviolin solo, alongside leader Pavlo Besnosiuk. In 2014 she played violin in Monteverdi’s Vespers with the English Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble. In 2019 she performs with Hampstead Garden Opera playing violin and viola in Handel’s Partenope.

Sophie is passionate about orchestral outreach work, so enjoys playing with Street Orchestra Live who take orchestral music to hard-to-reach communities around the country. 

When she is not playing the violin, Sophie enjoys learning French, playing netball and baking.